Utility Rack

ABSTRACT

A rack has a left support and a right support. Each support has at least one set of two brackets that are aligned with each other and with the one set of two brackets at the other support, with each bracket including a side wall and a bottom wall that are oriented at 90 degrees from each other, with the bottom wall having at least one hole. The rack also includes at least one shelf, with each shelf having an enclosing frame member that has two opposing first sides connected by two opposing second sides to define four corners, with each first side having a bottom surface, and a hole in the bottom surface. Each corner of each shelf is secured to one bracket by positioning the first side on the bottom wall of the one bracket, and inserting a screw through the at least one hole in the bottom wall and into the hole in the bottom surface of the first side.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an article-holding rack for placing common household articles, and in particular, to a rack for holding articles.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Article-holding racks are used by people in their daily lives to hold common household articles such as towels, clothes, shoes, etc. Many of these racks can be folded or dis-assembled to reduce that overall size, weight and profile for storage and transportation. This aspect is especially important given the costs of shipping or transportation, and the very narrow profit margins imposed on manufacturers by retailers who are trying to keep the price as low as possible for the consumer, Therefore, every effort is being made to design and pack the components of these racks into a packaging box that is the smallest and lightest possible.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer has to balance the concerns about transportation and shipping costs with performance. The performance of these racks is usually measured according to two criteria. The first criterion is the convenience and ease of assembling the separate components into the rack. The user wants to be able to assemble the rack quickly and using simple steps. The second criterion is the stability of the rack when assembled and in use. The rack needs to be stable when in use, and in this regard, there are many racks that wobble after they are assembled for use.

The competing interests for cost, convenience and stability are mutually exclusive. Convenience and stability are often sacrificed to obtain cost targets, and conversely, a more expensive rack might enjoy more convenience in use and be more stable. For example, a lightweight rack will obviously not be as strong or stable as one with thicker and heavier material parts, To try to meet all three objectives, the construction of some racks are made rather complex, leading either to increased costs of production or to inconvenience to the user. Often, the complex construction also has a negative impact on strength and stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rack for holding articles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rack having components that can be packed into a small and compact packaging box.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rack that has a simple construction and which is easy to manufacture.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rack that is convenient to assemble, and which is stable in use.

The present invention provides a rack that has a left support and a right support, with each support having two vertical bars and at least one horizontal bar extending between the vertical bars. Each support has at least one set of two brackets that are aligned with each other and with the one set of two brackets at the other support, with each bracket including a side wall and a bottom wall that are oriented at 90 degrees from each other, with the bottom wall having at least one hole. The rack also includes at least one shelf, with each shelf having an enclosing frame member that has two opposing first sides connected by two opposing second sides to define four corners, with each first side having a bottom surface, and a hole in the bottom surface. Each corner of each shelf is secured to one bracket by positioning the first side on the bottom wall of the one bracket, and inserting a screw through the at least one hole in the bottom wall and into the hole in the bottom surface of the first side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of one end of the rack of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the right support of the rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the left support of the rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a shelf that is used with the rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom of the shelf of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another shelf that can be used with the rack of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a rack according to one embodiment of the present invention. The rack 20 has a two side supports 24 and 26, and a plurality of removable shelves 22, In this embodiment, two shelves 22 are shown, but it is possible to provide one, three or more shelves 22. The side supports 24 and 26 and the shelves 22 can be made from one of a variety of materials, including a plastic, a type of resin, wood or bamboo.

The two supports 24 and 26 include a left support 26 and a right support 24. The left support 26 and the right support 24 have a plurality of horizontal bars 34 extending between two vertical bars 36. The horizontal bars 34 for the right and left supports 24 and 26 can be aligned at the same level, Feet 40 can be provided at the bottom of the vertical bars 36.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, connection brackets 42 are provided along the inner sides 44 of the right and left supports 24 and 26 to allow the corners of shelves 22 to be secured thereto, Each support 24, 26 has at least one set of two brackets 42 that are aligned with each other and also aligned with one set of two brackets at the other support. Each set of four aligned brackets 42 can be positioned anywhere along the height of the vertical bars 36 at locations where it is desired to position a shelf 22.

Each bracket 42 has an L-shaped configuration with a bottom wall 46 and a side wall 48 extending at 90 degrees from the bottom wall 46. The side wall 48 is secured (e.g., by welding) to the inner side 44 and the bottom wall 46 has at least one hole 50. It is preferable that at least two holes 50 be provided so as to allow for adjustability when securing the shelf 22 to the bracket 42 (as explained below), but it is also possible to provide one hole 50. The side wall 48 and the bottom wall preferably have the same length, and both extend flush from the outer side 52 of each vertical bar 36 towards the opposite support 24 or 26. An optional inner wall 54 can extend upwardly by 90 degrees from the edge of the bottom wall 46 opposite from the edge from which the side wall 48 extends. As a non-limiting example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner wall 54 can extend for about half the length of the side wall 48 from the inside of the rack 20. The inner wall 54 can have the same or lesser height as the side wall 48. Two sets of brackets 42 on each of the right and left supports 24 and 26 can be aligned at the same level to allow a shelf 22 to secured on a flat plane to the two supports 24, 26 along the aligned brackets 42.

Each shelf 22 can have the same construction, and be coupled to the supports 24, 26 in the same manner. Referring in greater detail to FIGS. 6 and 7, the shelf 22 has an enclosing frame member 60 that is generally rectangular in configuration, having two long sides 62 connected by two short sides 64. These sides 62 and 64 can be provided in the form of metal bars or metal sheets, or resin. The long sides 62 represent the front and rear sides, while the short sides 64 represent the left and right sides. A connecting bar 66 extends below the long sides 62 and connects the long sides 62 at about the center of the long sides 62. The inner-facing surfaces 68 of the short sides 64 are provided with slots 70 that are aligned with opposing slots on the opposing snort sides 64. These slots 70 are adapted to receive the opposing ends of a plurality of slats 72. Each slat 72 can be configured as an elongated strip of material. To assemble the shelf 22, each slat 72 is slightly bent to fit its opposite ends into the opposing slots 70 at the short sides 64. A screw 76 (or rivets, glue, tape or other similar connecting mechanisms) can then be inserted through corresponding holes (not shown) in the bar 66 to secure the slat 72 to the bar 66 at about the center of the slat 72. This construction relies on fitting opposite ends of the slat 72 (without a connection) into opposing slots 70, and then securing the center of the slat 72 to the bar 66, thereby providing a construction that is simpler than trying to secure (via an active connection) the ends of each slat 72 to the short sides 64 of the frame member 60, Since the slats 72 are preferably made of a material that has some flex or resilience to it (e.g., plastic or a resin-like material), the slats 72 can be slightly bent for insertion of its ends into the slots 70. As shown in FIG. 6, the slats 72 extend from one short side 64 to another short side 64 (i.e., from a left side to a right side) in a manner parallel to the long sides 62 (i.e., the front and rear sides). Threaded holes 78 can be provided at the bottom surface of the long sides 62 and the short sides 64 near each corner of the shelf 22.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 46 acts as a bottom support for the bottom surface of a portion of the long side 62 of the shelf 22 at a corner of the shelf 22, and the side wall 48 acts as side support for the side surface of the same portion of the long side 62. Screws 80 can extend from below the bottom wall 46 through the holes 50 and into the threaded holes 78 at the bottom surface of the long sides 62 and short sides 64, to secure that corner of the shelf 22 to the bracket 42. The side wall 48 functions to restrict movement of the shelf 22, thereby providing increased strength and stability. Normally, if the bottom surfaces of the long side and the short side 64 were secured to the bottom wall 46 only by the screws 80, it is possible for the supports 24 and 26 to wobble or shake with respect to the shelves 2 after the rack 20 has been assembled. Providing the side walls 48 acts to confine the shelf 22 so that there can no movement by the shelf 22 with respect to the supports 24 and 26. The optional inner wall 54 provides further confinement to the shelf 22 and improves stability and strength. The width of the bottom wall 46, and the distance between the inner wall 54 and the side wall 48, should be sized to fit the width of a long side 62 snugly so that movement of the shelf 22 inside the bracket 42 is minimized.

Each bracket 42 is preferably sized and configured to minimize movement of the shelves 22 inside the brackets 42, so as to minimize wobbling or shaking of the rack 20 when in use. Each side wall 48 and bottom wall 46 should have a length that is about 3% to 50% of the length of the long side 62. Each side wall 48 is shown in FIGS. 1-5 as having a height that is the same as the height of the long side 62, but the height of the side wall 48 can be 40% to 150% of the height of the long side 62.

FIG. 8 illustrates another shelf 100 that can be used with the rack 20. The shelf 100 has a meshed surface 102 instead of the slats 72 for the shelf 22. The shelf 100 also has an enclosing frame member 104 that is generally rectangular in configuration, having two long sides 106 connected by two short sides 108. These sides 106 and 108 can be provided in the form of metal bars or metal sheets, or resin. The meshed surface 102 can be made of metal criss-crossing wires that cover the enclosing frame member 104.

To disassemble the rack, the user simply removes the screws 80 from each bracket 42 and separates the shelves 22 from the supports 24 and 26. The shelves 22 can then be stacked together, and then the supports 24 and 26 are stacked together. The four components (two shelves 22 and two supports 24, 26) can then be slid into a thin-profiled packaging box (not shown).

Thus, the rack 20 of present invention realizes the objectives of the present invention in a number of ways. First, the rack 20 is very simple in construction, having only four components and some screws. The mechanisms for connecting the shelves 22 to the supports 24, 26 are also very simple, comprising an L-shaped bracket 42 and some screws 80. Second, the rack 20 can be assembled and dis-assembled very quickly, simply by inserting and removing some screws. Third, the components of the rack 20 can be packed into a thin packaging box, thereby minimizing transportation cost. Fourth, the brackets 42 provide a very strong connection for the shelves 22, thereby providing the rack 20 with stability.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. 

1. A rack for holding articles, comprising: a left support and a right support, each support having two vertical bars and at least one horizontal bar extending between the vertical bars, with each vertical bar having an inner side that faces the other vertical bar of the same support, and an outer side that faces away from rack, each support having at least one set of two brackets that are aligned with each other and with the one set of two brackets at the other support, wherein each bracket comprises a side wall and a bottom wall that are oriented at 90 degrees from each other, with the bottom wall having at least one hole, wherein for each bracket, the side wall is attached to an inner side of a vertical bar, and the bottom wall and side wall extend flush from the outer side of the vertical bar towards the opposite support; at least one shelf, each shelf having an enclosing frame member that has two opposing first sides connected by two opposing second sides to define four corners, with each first side having a bottom surface, and a hole in the bottom surface; and wherein each corner of each shelf is secured to one bracket by positioning the first side on the bottom wall of the one bracket, and inserting a screw through the at least one hole in the bottom wall and into the hole in the bottom surface of the first side.
 2. The rack of claim 1, wherein each second side of each shelf has an inner surface, and each shelf comprises: a plurality of slots provided on the inner surfaces of the second sides; and a plurality of slats, each slat having opposing ends that are fitted into opposing slots at the second sides.
 3. The rack of claim 2, wherein each shelf further comprises a connecting bar that connects the first sides at about the center of the first sides, and wherein each slat is connected to the connecting bar.
 4. The rack of claim 1, wherein the first sides are longer than the second sides.
 5. The rack of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall has opposite first and second edges, with the side wall extending from the first edge, and each bracket also includes an inner wall extending from the second edge of the bottom wall and parallel with the side wall.
 6. The rack of claim 2, wherein the slats are made of a flexible material.
 7. The rack of claim 4, wherein the first sides of the at least one shelf has a length, and wherein each bottom wall has a length that is about 3% to 50% of the length of the first sides of the at least one shelf.
 8. The rack of claim 4, wherein the first sides of the at least one shelf has a length, and wherein each side wall has a length that is about 3% to 50% of the length of the first sides of the at least one shelf.
 9. The rack of claim 4, wherein the first sides of the at least one shelf has a height, and wherein each side wall has a height that is about 40% to 150% of the height of the first sides of the at least one shelf.
 10. The rack of claim 1, wherein each shelf further comprises a meshed surface that covers the enclosing frame member.
 11. The rack of claim 5, wherein the inner wall is shorter than the side wall.
 12. A rack for holding articles, comprising: a left support and a right support, each support having two vertical bars and at least one horizontal bar extending between the vertical bars, with each vertical bar having an inner side that faces the other vertical bar of the same support, each support having at least one set of two brackets that are aligned with each other and with the one set of two brackets at the other support, wherein each bracket comprises a side wall, an inner wall, and a bottom wall that is oriented at 90 degrees from the side wall and the inner wall, the bottom wall having at least one hole and opposite first and second edges, with the side wall extending from the first edge, and the inner wall extending from the second edge and parallel with the side wall, wherein for each bracket, the side wall is attached to an inner side of a vertical bar; at least one shelf, each shelf having an enclosing frame member that has two opposing first sides connected by two opposing second sides to define four corners, with each first side having a bottom surface, and a hole in the bottom surface; and wherein each corner of each shelf is secured to one bracket by positioning the first side on the bottom wall of the one bracket, and inserting a screw through the at least one hole in the bottom wall and into the hole in the bottom surface of the first side.
 13. The rack of claim 12, wherein each second side of each shelf has an inner surface, and each shelf comprises: a plurality of slots provided on the inner surfaces of the second sides; and a plurality of slats, each slat having opposing ends that are fitted into opposing slots at the second sides.
 14. The rack of claim 13, wherein each shelf further comprises a connecting bar that connects the first sides at about the center of the first sides, and wherein each slat is connected to the connecting bar.
 15. The rack of claim 13, wherein the first sides are longer than the second sides.
 16. The rack of claim 13, wherein the slats are made of a flexible material.
 17. The rack of claim 12, wherein each shelf further comprises a meshed surface that covers the enclosing frame member.
 18. The rack of claim 12, wherein the inner wall is shorter than the side wall. 